Optical communications systems utilize pulses of light, i.e., optical signals, through light channels or fiber optic cables to transmit information between devices. If the optical power input to a fiber in the optical communication system is too high, a phenomenon known as Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) may occur. With SBS, a portion of the light input to the fiber is reflected and the power level of the light transmitted through the fiber is reduced below the intended input power level, among other deleterious effects. SBS can reduce the quality of the signal output from the fiber and thereby affect the performance of a communication system.
Currently there is no solution that optimizes a fiber link by mitigating SBS without requiring extensive knowledge of optical communications systems, often requiring personnel at both transmitter and receiver sites. Current attempts to mitigate the effects of SBS include using phase modulation, increasing the linewidth of the source, and limiting the power per channel to less than the SBS threshold.
Desirable are manners for minimizing setup time of an optical communication system and providing optimization specific to the effects of SBS in the network with minimal user intervention.
It is noted that while the accompanying FIGS. serve to illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments, the concepts displayed are not necessary to understand the embodiments of the present invention, as the details depicted in the FIGS. would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.